In September, Science in the City filled Triton Square with experiments, exhibits, and hands-on discovery. In November, the festival takes a different form. The **Performance Festival** moves indoors to the atmospheric vaulted chambers of **Sala San Duminku** in Valletta, where scientific ideas are explored through live theatre, music, multimedia, and stand-up comedy.
Taking place on **Friday 6 and Saturday 7 November 2026**, this is the second chapter of Malta’s national science and arts festival — and for the first time, the Street Festival and Performance Festival are running as two distinct events on separate dates. The November edition is more intimate, more experimental, and more performance-driven than its September counterpart.
As a proud supporter of Science in the City 2026, The Embassy Valletta Hotel is pleased to be part of this unique festival.
Event Details
- Event: Science in the City Performance Festival 2026
- Dates: Friday 6 and Saturday 7 November 2026
- Venues: Sala San Duminku, Merchants Street, Valletta (and other venues including the Catholic Institute, Floriana)
- Theme: Research, Resist, Reimagine
- Admission: Free
- Organised by: University of Malta and Malta Chamber of Scientists
- Website: scienceinthecity.org.mt
- Part of: European Researchers’ Night (held simultaneously in over 400 cities across Europe)
What to Expect
The Performance Festival is where science leaves the laboratory and enters the theatre. The programme blends scientific research with live performance in ways that are creative, accessible, and often genuinely funny:
- Peer-Reviewed Punchline: Real research turned into stand-up comedy. Scientists take their actual findings and deliver them as comedy routines — because if we cannot laugh at science, what can we laugh at?
- Theatre and multimedia: Scientific themes explored through dramatic performance, dance, visual art, and multimedia installations.
- Workshops: Hands-on sessions where audiences participate rather than just watch.
- Live exhibitions: Interactive experiences that bring current research to life.
The full programme for the 2026 Performance Festival will be published on scienceinthecity.org.mt. We will update this article once details are confirmed.
The Venue: Sala San Duminku
The primary venue for the Performance Festival is **Sala San Duminku** — a vaulted underground hall beneath the Dominican Church on Merchants Street in Valletta. The stone chambers create a natural acoustic that suits intimate performance, and the centuries-old architecture adds an atmospheric layer that a modern conference room simply cannot replicate.
Additional performances and workshops will also take place at the Catholic Institute in Floriana and other venues.
Why This Matters
Science in the City holds the **EFFE Label** — a European mark of festival excellence — and is part of the **European Researchers’ Night**, a continent-wide initiative to bring research closer to the public. What started in 2012 as a single-night event in Valletta has grown into a two-part festival attracting over 33,000 visitors annually, supported by more than 600 volunteers and 90 partner organisations.
The Performance Festival is the more experimental, boundary-pushing side of Science in the City. It challenges the assumption that science belongs in labs and lecture halls, and that art belongs in galleries. At Sala San Duminku, the two meet in the middle.
Getting There from The Embassy Valletta Hotel
Sala San Duminku is on Merchants Street — a short walk from The Embassy Valletta Hotel on Strait Street. No transport needed.
For events at the Catholic Institute in Floriana, it is a 10–15 minute walk from the hotel through City Gate.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Science in the City Performance Festival?
Friday 6 and Saturday 7 November 2026
Is the Performance Festival free?
Yes. All performances and workshops are free to attend.
Is this the same as the September Science in the City event?
It is part of the same festival, but in a different format. The September edition is an open-air street festival at Triton Square with interactive exhibits. The November Performance Festival is an indoor event at Sala San Duminku focused on live performances that blend science and the arts. For the first time in 2026, the two run as separate events on different dates.
What is “Peer-Reviewed Punchline”?
A segment where scientists take their real research and present it as stand-up comedy. It is one of the most popular elements of the Performance Festival.
Do I need to understand science to enjoy it?
Not at all. The entire point of the festival is to make research accessible, entertaining, and engaging for everyone — regardless of scientific background.